Monthly Archives: January 2012

Post navigation

Thank you for hanging in here. Many of you have made significant changes to your health, outlook, skin and weight over the past month. Congratulations to each of you!

I hope you enjoyed venturing down the path to good health with me. Stay tuned for the Wicked Green Smoothies Book coming in the next month or so for all e-readers. Don’t have an e-reader? No worries, Amazon has free apps for the phone and PC so you can keep enjoying your newfound health and find lots of new smoothie recipes to try.

As you ease out of the detox, take it slow. The first few days, substitute fresh fruit (banana, apple, grapes, etc.) for your morning smoothie. The next few days, substitute one other smoothie for a salad or soup. Then slowly re-introduce meat if desired. If you have talked with your doctor and gotten the ok, keep going and enjoying wicked green smoothies until you reach your goals.

Directions; Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss chickpeas with olive oil and seasoning of your choice. I love sea salt and old bay seasoning. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow pan and bake for one hour or until crispy. They are a crunchy, delicious treat chock full of protein and is a great substitute when you are craving chips or something salty/crunchy.

Avocado All The Way Baby

Here are some ways to try an avocado if you haven’t tried them, well other than in guacamole.

Slice open an avocado, scoop it out into a bowl, add balsamic vinegar and olive oil, yum!

Slice open an avocado, scoop it out into a bowl, add honey and sea salt, enjoy!

Going forward, simply mix and match the 21 recipes I have provided. Feel free to experiment with any kind of veggies, fruits, juices, yogurt, milks, etc. Whatever keeps you going.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Try and drink 3 cups of green tea. Keep going with the 1 Tbsp. of Chia Seeds

Try and increase the amount of dark leafy greens. Now try a large handful or 2 large handfuls.

My kids/husband/wife/significant other/friend/parents/etc. won’t eat greens, how do I sneak them in?

You may already know you can hide greens in many foods and fool the pickiest of eaters. For example, chop up greens very finely and use them in tomato sauce, casseroles, chili, stew, pasta, and soups. The nutritional benefits are enormous. Hey, tell them it’s Parsley, Oregano or Tarragon if they ask. The absolute best way to “hide” greens is in smoothies. When I make them for my friends and niece, I make sure to use dark berries or dark juice so the color of the smoothie isn’t green. They will never know unless you confess. Confession isn’t always good for the soul!

Protein powder

Starting something new, a job, workout, and way of eating causes changes as our bodies learn to adjust. You may feel tired, cranky and moody as your body adjusts. What is happening is that all the “junk” you put in is coming out. It’s not the good items going in but the cravings and detox that make you feel yuck.

Drink a smoothie and still feeling hungry? This may be the case when you start out with fruit only smoothies. Either add a scoop of protein powder to your next fruit smoothie or have your smoothie as part of your meal. Do not go to the vending machine or run for fast food. One of the biggest lies we’ve been told is that those dark leafy greens don’t contain protein and we must eat meat. That just isn’t true. They have protein and fiber and as you eat dark leafy greens, you’ll be full with much less.

You’ll find that you will no longer need to add protein powder as your system resets from junk food and soda abuse and starts humming along like the highly efficient machine it is supposed to be.

Which fruits/veggies should I spend extra money on for organic?

If you feel strongly one way or the other, then skip this section. Otherwise, think about which fruits and vegetables are higher in pesticides and start there. Not sue? Here is the updated list or the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen.

See you next week, let me know how you’re doing so far. Smile and be proud of yourself, you’re doing a fantastic job.

Tip: post your favorite Wicked Green Smoothie post, or a picture of a slimmer, healthier you on the refrigerator and bathroom mirror so they are the first thing you see in the morning and last thing you see at night, it helps.

Going forward, simply mix and match the 21 recipes I have provided. Feel free to experiment with any kind of veggies, fruits, juices, yogurt, milks, etc. Whatever keeps you going.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Try and drink 3 cups of green tea. Keep going with the 1 Tbsp. of Chia Seeds

Try and increase the amount of dark leafy greens. If you used a small handful now try a large handful or 2 small handfuls.

Frozen vs. fresh fruit

The standalone freezer is your friend

Went a little crazy at the market buying fruit and produce did you? All that lovely fruit and produce you’ve been growing? Invest in a standalone freezer for your garage or carport – heck, put it in the kitchen or laundry room. My freezer was the most basic frost-free freezer I could buy. I didn’t want to worry about having to defrost it or having any fancy features. I bought a Kenmore upright frost-free freezer from Sears and bought a freezer thermometer from the hardware store and it is jam packed with fruit and greens. Pending an extended power outage, I’m stocked up for months.

Many people have asked me if it’s ok to use frozen fruit and frozen greens in their smoothies. My response is simple, frozen is just as good. It’s picked and directly frozen so the fruit and greens retain their nutrients. It’s fast, and you will always have some on hand when hunger strikes. If you’re worried about only using fresh, what happens when you are on your way home from work, starving, and stop at the grocery? My guess is, you may bypass the produce section and head right for those old processed food cravings who by now are screaming out your name. Sure it’s great to use fresh if you have it but please don’t feel like you’re a failure if you don’t, those are the self-righteous purists trying to make you feel bad. I want you to be healthy not perfect. Frozen fruit is picked when ripe and then immediately frozen so it’s healthy; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The same with greens, so thumb your nose at your well-meaning family and friends and you’ll be the one laughing with your new healthy body and younger looking self!

Can I put yogurt or dairy in my smoothie with the greens?

There is plenty of discussion online and in various publications regarding adding dairy or starchy veggies, such as carrots, to your smoothies. If you have dietary restrictions or have an easily upset stomach or disorder, then don’t add these to your smoothies. In the recipes where I’ve added diary (soy milk, almond milk, yogurt or Greek yogurt) or starchy veggies (broccoli, carrots, etc.), leave them out or substitute for something else you like. You’ll find plenty of variations in the recipes as I’ve tried to create smoothies with and without dairy and starchy veggies. In the case of carrots, you can use the green carrot tops, they have a great flavor and fantastic nutrition. For the dairy, substitute with juice, water or more fruit and you won’t miss it. Some folks just don’t like the taste of dairy in a green smoothie or they think it sounds wrong – not sure? Try it and you’ll know. I was surprised how well they go together and wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t made it and tried it for myself.

Keep blending those Wicked Green Smoothies! Have you come up with a favorite combination? Share it here.

Going forward, simply mix and match the 21 recipes I have provided. Feel free to experiment with any kind of veggies, fruits, juices, yogurt, milks, etc. Whatever keeps you going.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
Try and drink 3 cups of green tea.
Keep going with the 1 Tbsp. of Chia Seeds

Try and increase the amount of dark leafy greens. If you used a small handful now try a slightly bigger handful.

Did you know?

Eating lots of tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, and peaches gives your skin a healthy golden glow and makes you more attractive, according to a study in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. A half cup a day is enough to help you naturally glow. Many believe this subtle glow sends out a signal of good health when looking for a mate and this preference still draws us to people with a golden skin tone. So, who needs self-tanner? Save yourself some cash and eat your way to a healthy, cancer, sun-free beautiful (or handsome, for all you gents) glow.

Blanching greens

Go a little crazy at the grocery or farmer’s market? Now what to do with all those delicious looking greens? Don’t panic. Blanch. Blanching greens are a great way to freeze them for later. To blanch: bring water to a boil, drop the greens into the water for a minute, drain and immediately rinse under cold water. Then place in freezer bags and freeze for later use. Chop them up when blanching and you can take out a small bag, add to soup, stew, pasta, chili, and smoothies. You don’t even have to defrost them; they’ll cook fine with the hot items and add an icy thickness to your smoothies.

Tip: make some kale chips if you’re hungry this week (psst, the recipe is posted on the site).

Yuck! What is that you’re drinking? – it looks disgusting!

You may hear this or something like it from your family, friends, and coworkers when they see your Wicked Green Smoothies. Many of these folks will be disgusted, yet fascinated and very curious about what you are drinking. Offer them a taste, heck, dare them to taste your smoothie concoction. Tell them all about how wonderful and healthy they are. If you’re not ready for the scrutiny, use a dark thermos and dark straws and just say it’s a fruit smoothie and leave it at that. My sister in law wanted to taste one of my creations and upon tasting it, said “this is surprisingly not bad”. Once they try your smoothie, they’ll probably like it and may even ask you for the recipe. You can get your kids to try them by giving them names such as “Green boogers, monster juice, zombie brains, etc” you get the hint. They won’t be able to resist a taste.

How do I transport my smoothies?

Remember when you were in school and had a cute (or manly for all you guys reading) lunch box and matching thermos? Well, Thermos is all grown up and makes fantastic insulated containers to take your Wicked Green Smoothies anywhere. While you can’t put your Thermos in the dishwasher, they are easy to clean. Put a drop of dish detergent in the Thermos and rinse it out. A baby bottle brush is cheap and works really well to scrub your Thermos. Thermos’ can be found at many retail stores and online at Amazon and the Thermos website. They come in plain stainless and other designs. The sixteen ounce size is great for lunch or you can buy the larger size and take two meals or a manly man meal size. See the reference section for the Thermos website.

Day 7 Menu

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Try and drink 3 cups of green tea as well. It’s good for you.

Congratulations, you Wicked Green Smoothie Kings and Queens! You made it though the week. By now, you feel better, look better, and have lost some unwanted pounds. Let’s keep the momentum going and do another week (or 3 for the whole month).

Going forward, simply mix and match the 21 recipes I have provided. Feel free to experiment with any kind of veggies, fruits, juices, yogurt, milks, etc. Whatever keeps you going.

Greens Basics

Start out with mild lettuce such as Boston Bibb or Baby Romaine or Cucumber or Celery, especially if you don’t like cooked greens or even salad. I hated cooked greens and if anyone told me I’d be drinking them and telling others how good they are, I would have thought they were barking mad. Then take a brave step and move on to spinach. When you’re feeling brave, graduate to the dark, leafy greens. The darker the greens, the higher the nutrients. You may be surprised at your favorite. Mine is Kale which I can’t believe but yes, it is. Kale, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, the greens from the top of carrots, large romaine and swiss chard will provide tons of nutrients your body needs and add a “green” flavor, it’s energizing and your mouth will start to water, seriously it will, once you’ve had them you’ll like them. Below is a list of greens to experiment with. What’s your favorite going to be?

Kale is my favorite dark leafy green to use in Wicked Green Smoothies. I had never eaten nor had any interest in eating kale prior to experimenting with smoothies. Actually, I didn’t like any of the leafy greens period. After looking into dark leafy greens, I wanted the most bang for the buck nutritionally, so to speak and kale quickly became my fave.

Kale is called a “super-green” as it’s very high in vitamin K, vitamin C, beta carotene and calcium. When you grind it up in a smoothie it releases sulforaphane which is a chemical with killer anti-cancer properties. Steaming, stir frying, microwaving, baking and grinding in smoothies keep the levels of this chemical high. Boiling will decrease them. Have you tried kale sautéed w/a little olive oil and garlic? Before you say “Eewww”, try it, it’s very tasty.

There is also a chemical in kale which helps boost DNA repair in cells and hey we all need to do everything we can to keep looking young, right?

A bit o’history – up until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was extremely common all across Europe. Even the ancient Romans and Greeks ate kale. During World War II in the UK there was a Dig for Victory campaign which highlighted kale as it was easy to grown and packed full of nutrients missing due to all the rationing of the time.

If it calls out to you, remove it from your home immediately!

If you keep snacks, sweets, chips, and/or other processed foods in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator, you will hear them lovingly calling out to you, “come and eat me”. Fess up, we’ve all heard the call. A part of your brain will be constantly aware of those treats sitting there, just waiting for you to have a weak moment and consume them, so get rid of them and keep your brain from triggering cravings that will only lead you down the path of destruction.

Are all blenders the same?

What kind of blender do I need? There’s a lot of discussion on the internet regarding the brand of blender you need to make smoothies. Let’s keep it simple. If you have a blender, great, use it until it dies. No sense in spending money on something you may not need. Check out yard sales, Craigslist, a thrift shop or Goodwill; they’re all great places to pick up a blender for very little money. I started out with an Oster Professional blender, also called a beehive blender. It worked great although it was noisy and I had to make sure I chopped fruits and vegetables up more and put the ingredients into the blender in stages or it would get clogged up and stop. Most blenders also take longer to give you that smooth looking smoothie than the fancy (aka Blendtec or VitaMix) blenders. Once you love smoothies and have killed a couple of regular blenders, then you may want to splurge and buy a fancy, top of the line blender. They are expensive but completely worth it. You don’t have to do as much prep work so everything is faster and we’re all pressed for time. Ask your family to chip in together to buy you one for your birthday or Mother’s Day or Christmas or splurge and treat yourself. Want me to justify it for you? It’s much better to splurge on a blender than to splurge on junk food and soda. You’ll be giving your body and health a gift. It’s like having a Kitchen Aid stand mixer – you know nothing beats it and you just can’t get the same results with other mixers. I have the VitaMix and absolutely love it. Only wish I would have splurged sooner.

What do I need for equipment?

A blender. That was simple and inexpensive wasn’t it?

You might also want to add a few Thermos’ to carry around your smoothies so you can use one and have another washed and ready to go. They will keep smoothies cold all day long and soups, stews, etc. hot all day.

Let’s get to Day 5 Recipes

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Try and drink 3 cups of green tea as well. It’s good for you.